Drop-leaf table with pivoted support legs



July 16, 1957 G. LARSEN 2,799,547

DROP-LEAF TABLE WITH PEVOTED SUPPORT LEGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001.. 20, 1955 July 16, 1957 G. LARSEN 2,799,547

DROP-LEAF TABLE WITH PIVOTED SUPPORT LEGS Filed Oct. 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States. PatentO DROP-LEAF TABLE. WITH PIVOTED SUPPORT LEGS 7 Application October 20, 1955, Serial No. 541,554

4 Claims. (Cl. 311-63) The invention relates generally to improvements in drop-leaf" tables, but relates more particularly to improvements in swinging leg means for supporting the drop leafin operative position.

As heretofore constructed, swinging legs have been provided which in one position permit the drop leaf, which ishinged to the center leaf or table proper, to be disposed inan inoperative vertical position and to be swung to a different position, whereby to underlie and support the drop leaf in an operative position and in a plane common to that of the center leaf or table proper.

However, in such prior constructions it has been necessary first to swing the drop leaf from its inoperative position to its operative position and then manually to swing the legs outwardly to a position supporting and underlying the drop leaf. This operation at times might be necessary when the person setting the table up for use is. carrying articles for placement on the table and hencedoes not have both hands available for use.

Again, even if the user has both hands available for positioning: the drop leaf for use, it has been necessary manually to swing the legs from the inoperative to the operative position.

An object of the invention is to provide a swinging leg arrangement of such construction that the swinging of the drop leaf from its inoperative position to its operative position will automatically cause swinging movement of the leg structure from inoperative position to operative position underlying and supporting the drop leaf in position for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swinging leg structure for supporting a drop leaf, which leg structure when the drop leaf is in inoperative position will be held in place by the drop leaf.

Again it is an object of the invention to provide means for adjusting the frictional pressure of the pivots on which the legs swing.

A further object of the invention is to provide means which upon the swinging of the drop leaf from inoperative position to operative position will automatically cause swinging movement of the legs to supporting drop-leaf position and at the same time will resist reverse movement, thereby eliminating danger of accidental collapse of the drop leaf.

These and other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drop-leaf table embodying my invention, one drop leaf being in lowered inoperative position and the other drop leaf being in upper or operative position;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the drop-leaf table of Fig. l, but on a scale enlarged with respect thereto;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a drop-leaf table of Fig. 1 but on the scale of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, but on a larger scale;

Fig. 5-is a' -se ctional' view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 but on a larger scale; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view on the line- 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The table comprises a central fixed leaf or table proper 10 to which are secured drop leaves 11 and 12, respectively. The drop leaves 11 and 12 are secured by means of hinges 13 and 14, respectively, so that the leaves may be dropped to the perpendicular inoperative position shown at the near side of Fig. 1 or raised to the horizontal operative position shown at the far side of Fig. 1. Such construction is conventional in drop-leaf tables.

For supporting the table there is provided two pairs of legs 15 and 16, respectively. Since the construction and operation of each pair of legs is alike, a description of one will suffice for both. Because the detail-views have reference to the pair of legs 16, reference will be made specifically to that pair. The pair of legs 16 comprises twoindividual legs, each of which is similar in constructon'. Each leg comprises a straight upper portion 17 whichis secured to the table in such a manner as to permit partialrotation on a vertical axis, and a lower portion 18 for engagement with the floor or other supporting surface. Secured to spaced points of the leg intermediate the portions 17 and 18 is a bracket member 19. The member 19 comprises leg portions 20 and 21 fixed to the table leg at 22" an 23, respectively, and joined by a reserve bend portion 24. i r

The straight upper ends 17-17 of a pair of legs extend into a pair of block-like members 25 and 26, the member 25 being secured to the fixed leaf or table proper by'mean'sof a pair of screws 27-27. Member 26 is not secured to the table but it secured to the member 25 by means of the bolts 28-28, adjustment being accomplished by means of the wing nuts 29-29 which are positioned upon the threaded end portions 30-30 of the bolts 28-281 The ends 17-17 of the associated pair of legs are secured against displacement in a vertical direction by means of set screws 31-31, the head of which are accommodated in slots 32, 32', respectively, in the member 26, which recesses permit partial rotation of the leg on its vertical axis. So that swinging movement of one leg will cause corresponding swinging movement of the associated leg of the pair, the portion 17 has fixed thereto a member 33 and the portion 17' a member 33', which members have segmental gear portions 34 and 34', the teeth of which intermesh.

The teeth 34 on member 33 are formed between upper and lower plate-like portions 35-35 so that the teeth 34' of member 33', when intermeshing with the teeth 34, are held in place against shifting axially relative to each other.

M ode of operation From the foregoing description it will be understood that each pair of legs is so mounted that swinging movement of one leg of an associated pair will cause corresponding swinging movement of the other leg. However, in order to cause automatic swinging movement of the legs from the position shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 2 to the position shown at the right-hand side, additional meansis necessary. To this end there is affixed to the leg portion 17' an arm 40. A tension spring 41 has one end 42 thereof secured to the outer end of the arm 40 and the other end 43 connected at 44 to a member 45 which is fixed to the underside of the center leaf 10 of the table. This spring tends to swing one leg portion in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 and 5, which tends to swing member 33 and hence both legs of a given pair outwardly from a position entirely under the center fixed leaf, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 2 to the drop-leaf supporting position shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 2. However, when a drop leaf is in its lowered position, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1, outward swinging movement of the legs under the urging of the ,tension spring is prevented because portions of the legs engage the inner face of the adjacent drop leaf, the spring 'having insufiicient force to swing the drop leaf on its hinges.

However, immediately'a drop leaf is lifted manually,

the tension'spring functions automatically to'cause the swinging movement ofthe legs as before described.

To restore a drop leaf to inoperative position it is first necessary manually to swing one of the legs of an associated pair so that the legs are disposed under the fixed leaf of the table, such" action permitting the drop leaf to swing on its hinges under the action of gravity;

'While the invention is shown in connection with a table having drop leaves at both ends, it will be understood it may be used with a table having but one drop leaf, in which event of course only one set of mechanisms would be provided.

By adjusting the wing nuts 29-29 the frictional resistance to rotation of the pivot portions 17-17 of the legs may be varied. The extent of the swinging movement, however, is limited by the length of slots 3232', since the head of the screws 31-31 stop further movement on engaging the shoulders defining the ends of the slots.

In the claims, reference to means tending to swing said legs from inoperative drop-leaf supporting position to drop-leaf supporting position is to be construed to mean having the capacity so to swing the legs when the drop leaf is lifted.

I claim:

1. In a drop-leaf table, a fixer leaf, a drop-leaf, means hinging the drop-leaf to the fixed leaf, a pair of supporting legs for the table, projections disposed on said legs upper portions, sectional bearing means pivotally securing the upper ends of said legs to said fixed leaf, means adjusting the interval between said bearing means sections whereby the friction between said legs upper ends and said bearing means may be adjusted, said bearing means also being slotted, said leg projections being engageable with said bearing means slots, said slot-leg projection engagements defining the extent of the pivotal movement of said legs, means interconnecting the upper ends of said pair of legs so that swing movement of one of said legs causes swinging movement of both legs, and means tending to swing said legs from inoperative dropleaf supporting position to operative drop-leaf supporting position.

2. The arrangement set forth in claim 1 in which the drop leaf acts to restrain swinging movement of the legs when the drop leaf is in its lowered inoperative position.

3. The arrangement set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for causing simultaneous swinging movement of both legs comprises a pair of intermeshing gear members, one secured to the top part of each leg, and the means tending to cause swinging movement of the legs from inoperative drop-leaf supporting position to drop-leaf supporting position includes an arm secured to and extending from one gear member, and a tension spring connected at one end to said arm and at the other end to the fixed leaf part of the table.

4. The arrangement set forth in claim 1 wherein each leg comprises a main member, the upper end portion of which is pivotally attached to the fixed leaf, and a bracket member fixed to the main leg member, said bracket member having a portion so disposed as supportingly to engage the underside of the drop leaf when the drop leaf is in operative raised position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 186,171 Schier Ian. 9, 1877 1,262,272 Sellner Apr. 9, 1918 2,544,228 Hoppe Mar. 6, 1951 2,544,229 Hoppc Mar. 6, 1951 2,579,076 Hoppe Dec. 18, 1951 

